A new study shows that components found in aged blood can speed up the buildup of amyloid proteins and alter behavior in an experimental mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia worldwide and remains a major challenge for public health systems. A new study published in the journal Aging reports that blood taken from older mice can speed up the progression of Alzheimer’s-related changes, while blood from younger mice appears to offer protective benefits.
The research was conducted by scientists from Instituto Latinoamericano de Salud Cerebral (BrainLat) at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, working alongside colleagues from MELISA Institute, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and Universidad Mayor.
The disease is marked by the buildup of beta-amyloid protein (Aβ) in the brain. These protein deposits form plaques that interfere with communication between nerve cells and drive the processes that lead to neurodegeneration. While beta-amyloid is produced in the central nervous system, growing evidence suggests that it can also be found in the bloodstream, raising new questions about how Alzheimer’s develops and spreads.
Testing How Age-Related Blood Factors Affect the Brain
To investigate the role of age-related factors in blood, the researchers turned to Tg2576 transgenic mice (a model widely used in Alzheimer’s research). Over a 30-week period, these mice received weekly blood infusions from either young or aged animals. The goal was to determine whether substances circulating in the blood could influence amyloid plaque buildup in the brain as well as changes in behavior.
